Last night, we were treated to a unique culmination of Heavenly
phenomena, a blue moon, a lunar eclipse, and a super moon. These heavenly
phenomena coincided with “Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot", Tu BiSh'vat, or “New
Year of the Trees”. In the Jewish faith, they usually celebrate natural
phenomena. However, they believe that during lunar eclipses, it should be an
opportunity to increase in prayer and introspection— the culmination of these
particular events have me doing just that: pondering, praying, and trying to
apply these lessons into my own life, as Deuteronomy says, "Man is
[compared to] the tree of the field" (Deut. 20:19)
“it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.”
Mosiah 4:27
It may seem odd to celebrate trees
during the winter, when the world seems dead or barren. But New Year of the
Trees takes place when the sap is beginning to rise in the trees. On the
outside, the tree may appear dead, but on the inside, hidden, there is
movement; the potential for new life is forming with roots ready to spring into
action at the first sign of warmer weather. This is why Tu BiSh’vat is
celebrated in the in the middle of the winter. It is to celebrate the POTENTIAL
of the trees. Those of the Jewish faith understand that it is because of the cold winter that the tree
is able to blossom and be fruitful in the spring.
Most trees
go through a period of dormancy. For those who live where seasons are extreme,
this period of dormancy is more easily observed. In the spring, we witness new
life and tender buds that often give way to bright green foliage and beautiful
blossoms. In summer, we bask in the glorious refreshing shade while trees work
to produce various fruits. As summer gives way to fall, we are able to harvest
the bounty and partake in the tree’s efforts. As fall progresses, we witness
glorious displays of colored foliage, and then as temperatures drop, the leaves
fall. Most trees take on an almost dead appearance. The trees have become
dormant. Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth and
development are temporarily stopped. This dormancy allows organisms to conserve
energy and is often associated with environmental conditions.
In our
lives, we also go through periods of dormancy. We experience times when we aren’t
able to do what we have in the past. Perhaps we need to slow down because of
physical or mental health reasons, perhaps we need to recover from exhaustion
of an incredibly busy life (family obligations, extracurricular activities,
callings, service opportunities, civic duties, etc…). We just need a moment of
time to take a deep breath and rest. Mosiah 4: 26-27 counsels:
“26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have
spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins
from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should
impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he
hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and
administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to
their wants.
27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom
and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has
strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby
he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”
Not only is
there nothing wrong with periods of dormancy and rest, it is vital in our goal
to reaching exaltation, as long we rest in the Lord, and do not allow our faith
and convictions to become dormant.
President
Joseph F. Smith taught that we enter into the rest of the Lord as we yield our
souls to Him and His gospel.
“I desire to
read from the writings of Moroni, wherein he quotes the teachings of his father,
Mormon.
“And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my
father, Mormon, which he spake concerning Faith, Hope, and Charity. …
“… I would speak unto you that are of the Church, that
are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient
hope, by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time
henceforth, until ye shall rest with him in heaven.” [Moroni 7:1, 3.]
…
What does
it mean to enter into the rest of the Lord? Speaking for myself, it means that
through the love of God I have been won over to Him, so that I can feel at rest
in Christ, that I may no more be disturbed by every wind of doctrine, by the
cunning and craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; and that I
am established in the knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ, so that no power
can turn me aside from the straight and narrow path that leads back into the
presence of God, to enjoy exaltation in His glorious kingdom; that from this
time henceforth I shall enjoy that rest until I shall rest with Him in the
heavens.
Pruning
“In our search to obtain relief from the
stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives.” (L. Tom Perry , “Let Him Do
It with Simplicity”)
For
many trees, the best time to prune is in the winter. To prune is to cut away
dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and
growth. Pruning during dormancy is the most common practice. It results in a
vigorous burst of new growth in the spring.
Like trees,
we also go through seasons of brilliant growth and bounty, as well as seasons
of dormancy accompanied by pruning. As a member of the church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints, we have been counseled in recent years to simplify. I
liken the counsel to simplify to pruning, or cutting out that which is
unnecessary, allowing us to focus only on necessary functions, or the things
that matter most.
“Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes
necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian
discipleship—the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and
peace.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Things That Matter Most”)
There
may be times in our lives where we do the pruning ourselves, or sometimes, the
Lord does the pruning for us. In a well-known story, Elder Hugh B. Brown
demonstrated the importance of pruning in our lives:
“You sometimes
wonder whether the Lord really knows what he ought to do with you. You
sometimes wonder if
you know better than he does about what you ought to do
and ought to become. I am wondering if I may tell you a story that … has to do
with an incident in my life when God showed me that he knew best.
I was
living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning
and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet high. It was going all to
wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in
Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that
currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and went after it, and I cut it
down, and pruned it, and clipped it back until there was nothing left but a
little clump of stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top
of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the
currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded (and I haven’t entirely
gotten over it), and I looked at it, and smiled, and said, “What are you crying
about?” You know, I thought I heard that currant bush talk. And I thought I
heard it say this: “How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful
growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are
inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will
look down on me, because I didn’t make what I should have made. How could you
do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.” That’s what I thought I
heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, “Look,
little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be.
I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a
currant bush, and some day, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit,
you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me
down, for caring enough about me to hurt me. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.’”
During
times of dormancy and pruning in our lives, instead of becoming frustrated, we
should embrace the opportunity for rest and growth. We can use the time to
prepare for the future opportunities the Lord will provide when I am ready.
Personally, I can't help but feel a thrill for the anticipation for a vigorous
burst of new growth that will soon come after this season of simplifying.
Roots:
“All who live upon this earth are to be tested by
the winds of adversity,” – Harold B. Lee
Ever
since I was a young girl, I had planned my life out. It would be perfect. I
would go grow up and find and marry a handsome doctor, have a dozen perfect
children, and we then would live happily ever after in a cute house with a
white picket fence – it was to be a perfect life.
Fast
forward 20 years, and I find myself living a life far different than the life I
planned and dreamed. I did grow up and find a handsome man to marry. That is
about as far as I got in following my childhood life plans. My husband was not
a doctor; he was a small-town farm boy. We were not blessed with children;
instead, we were blessed with a terminal diagnosis of cancer shortly after our
marriage. Instead of living in a cute house with a white picket fence, I am now
living back in my mother’s basement as a young childless widow. And in spite of
everything I went through, I wouldn’t change one moment of my experience. Now,
you might be wondering “what that has to do with trees?” As I have pondered the
symbols of the tree, I have discovered that the experiences in my life have not
only blessed me with an opportunity to grow in strength, but allowed me to
strengthen my personal roots.
In “Strong
Winds, Strong Roots: What Trees Teach Us About Life”, Dennis Merritt Jones
writes, “A great experiment in the
desert called the biodome created a living environment for human, plant and
animal life. A huge glass dome was constructed to house an artificial, controlled
environment with purified air and water, healthy soil and filtered light. The
intent was to afford perfect growing conditions for trees, fruits and
vegetables, as well as humans.
People
lived in the biodome, for many months at a time, and everything seemed to do
well with one exception. When the trees grew to a certain height, they would
topple over. It baffled scientists until they realized they forgot to include
the natural element of wind. Trees need wind to blow against them because it
causes their root systems to grow deeper, which supports the tree as it grows
taller.
Who among us doesn’t long for a perfect growing
environment for ourselves, with no disruptions from outside influences? We
strive to avoid the times of contrast and tension, when life’s daily challenges
push against us. When they do, the normal tendency is to curse them. If trees
could talk, would we hear them curse the wind each time they encountered a
storm?
We can learn a great deal from nature’s wisdom at work
if we are open to the lesson. Watch how a tree bends and sways gracefully when
the wind blows against it. It does not stand rigid, resisting the flow of
energy. It does not push back. The tree accepts the strong wind as a blessing
that helps it grow.
Such
experiences develop our character and deepen our spiritual roots. When we grow
deep, we too, stand tall.”
I have seen
this principle bless my own life. The storms and winds of life have given me
the opportunity to dig my roots deeper in my faith in Christ, and His gospel. I
am a better and stronger person because of what I experienced. Through
cultivating strong roots – faith and commitment to God – we produce many
fruits.
From Roots to
Fruits
“By their fruits, ye shall know them” – Matthew 7:20
Understanding
where we came from is key in helping us creating our futures, which is why it
is vital to teach children who their ancestors are. In a 2010 study conducted
by Emory University, children were asked a variety of question including what
they knew about their parent's childhood, where their parents met, what they
knew about their grandparents, etc... The research showed that children who
knew stories about relatives who came before them showed higher levels of
emotional well-being. "Family stories provide a sense of identity through
time, and help children understand who they are in the world." ("Do
You Know? The power of family history in adolescent identity and
well-being". (http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/doyouknow.html)
My
experiences have given me a greater urge to research my ancestral roots: where
I came from, who I literally came from. As I have looked to my ancestral roots,
I discovered that the winds in their lives created strong resilient men and
women who stood graceful, flexible, and tall. I know those traits were passed
on to me. In my digging, I discovered that I came from a long line of amazing
young widows.
One such example was my 3rd great grandmother, Mary
Jane McNeil. She was widowed at the age of 24 with 2 children: my
great-great-grandfather Thomas James McNeil (Age 4) and his baby sister Mary
Jane McNeill (Age 1 1/2).
Prior to
the death of Mary’ Jane’s husband, the couple was called to help settle Sunset,
AZ. Mary Jane insisted that she and her two young children were going to go on
the mission. It is told that when some suggested that she need not go on the
mission because her husband had died. She replied that she and her husband had
sold their dairy in Logan and bought team, wagon and supplies to go; and stated
that the call to go on the mission was from a prophet of the Lord and she was going on a mission to Sunset.
I am in awe at her faith and
determination. I think moving with 2 young children to a desolate wasteland is
hard enough WITH a husband, but to do what she did as a new young widow is
truly humbling. Her faith and testimony are awe-inspiring. I am truly blessed
to have her was one of my deepest roots. Knowing the things she went through
gives me greater determination to face my winds with equal grace and
determination.
As
I continue to read about similar stories of faith, determination, and
resiliency, I am blessed with greater faith and hope that I too can make it
through life’s challenges. I have greater understanding of who I am in the
world, and what I have to offer the world because of my experiences.
“Lo, children
are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3
During TubiSh'vat, the fruits of
the trees are eaten in a particular order. First you eat the olives, then the
dates, grapes, and figs, and finally the pomegranate. There is symbolism in the
order which the fruits and their seeds are eaten.
Rabbi
Eitiel Goldwicht explained, “When you eat an olive, the pit is very bitter, so
you spit it out right away. Then you eat the date, which is a very sweet pit,
so you roll it in your mouth for an extra second. The seeds of the grape are so
small, sometimes you take them out, and sometimes you swallow them. The seeds
of the fig are an integral part of the fruit and cannot be separate from it.
The pomegranate is the seed itself. There is a complete transformation of
seeds; from bitter and non-desirable to sweet and delicious.”
The experience
of childbirth isn’t much different from eating the fruits of TubiSh’vat. Labor
may be considered painful, even bitter, but as it progresses and a woman brings
forth her child, the literal fruit of her womb, there is an exquisite sweetness
and joy. From bitter and painful to sweet and desirable.
From these
fruits, we can gain incredible other incredible insights into the literal
fruits of our womb (our children).
• Figs: Figs grow best when they are close
to a home. Figs can remind us that youth grow best when close to their home.
• Dates: Dates are grown high above the
ground, in the shade of palm prawns. Dates can remind us of the protection of the "high
place" of the temple.
• Grapes: Grapes are grown in bunches and can
a grape plant can be grafted into a new plant. Grapes can remind us of safety of being an active part of a church
congregation.
• Olives: Olives are easy to access, but they
are bitter to taste until they are pressed for oil or until they are sufficiently purged of their
bitterness by being immersed in a salty brine. Olives can remind us of the need
of the atonement to cleanse all infirmities.
• Pomegranate: Last, but not least is the
pomegranate. It is the most visually pleasing of all fruits. It has a tough skin that protects the seeds. A
pomegranate tree needs little water once it is established and can tolerate
many soil types. The only thing it really needs is sun. The pomegranate can
remind us that if we grow our children in the light of the Savior, they can
withstand and even thrive through the trials that may come their way. A
pomegranate tree is so sturdy. The individual seeds are connected to be one
fruit.... one heart, one mind.... just like a Zion people should be.
Pomegranates are also symbolic of the Abrahamic covenant of multiplying
seed.... The believing blood of Israel do not just contain seeds, they ARE the
seeds.
From Seed to
Tree - Nurturing A Rising Generation
From each
fruit comes the opportunity for a whole new orchard of trees, Each apple tree
has the potential to propogate 15,000 new trees, and each of those trees has the potential
for 15,000 new trees, and so on. But without proper watering, pruning, and care
to ensure a healthy, mature tree, a tree will not reach it’s potential, it
cannot.
Just as
plants wither and die with the lack of precious water, light, and proper care,
our children can wither and die when they lack the living waters and the light
of Christ.
Puritan
pastor, Thomas Watson, wrote: “Children are young plants which must be watered
with good education, so that they may, with Obadiah, fear the Lord ‘from their
youth up’ (I Kings 18:12).”
The
Prophet Zenos gives us incredible counsel and insight into just how precious
the nurturing process is. “Wherefore, go
to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the
vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural
fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit.
“Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this
last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that
I shall prune my vineyard” Jacob 5:61–62
This task
is not only given to adults, but also to the rising generation. In his talk
titled, “A Call to the Rising Generation” Elder Brent H. Nielson said, “The Savior’s call is to you of the rising
generation. He is asking for worthy,
prepared, faithful young men and young women who will heed the prophet’s voice,
who will step up and say, as the Savior Himself said, “Here am I, send me”
Abraham 3:27 The need has never been greater. The field has never been whiter.
You are called to go “this last time” Jacob 5:62 There is no greater work;
there is no greater call… I pray that you of this rising generation will stand
up for truth and righteousness and understand your sacred call..."
It is my hope and prayer that you
may remember the beautiful symbolism as you look at trees and fruits. Embrace
the periods of dormancy, rejoice in the pruning, show gratitude for your roots
and fruits, and embrace the opportunity to nurture young seedlings. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water, that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3
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